Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Mar 1993

Vol. 428 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Austin Deasy

Question:

21 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason widows and widowers do not get fringe benefits at least as good as those afforded to lone parents and other welfare recipients; and the changes, if any, he intends to bring about in this area.

Minister of Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

I understand that the fringe benefits referred to by the Deputy are the "free schemes" administered by my Department. The free schemes comprise free travel and a separate group of allowances payable in the form of benefits in kind.

Free travel is available to all residents who are aged 66 or over and to certain persons under 66 who are in receipt of welfare payments as incapacitated persons. The general purpose of the scheme is to encourage such persons to remain active in the community. Free travel passes are available to widows and widowers on exactly the same conditions as apply to everyone else.

The free schemes paid as benefits in kind include the free electricity allowance, free natural gas allowance, free television licence and free telephone rental. These schemes are intended to help elderly or incapacitated persons who are living alone. Widows or widowers who satisfy the relevant conditions qualify for receipt of these allowances on the same basis as other qualified persons.

Dermot Ahern

Question:

26 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the outcome of the recent review by his Department of a case in which it was decided to administratively recognise the sharing of child benefit in lone parent allowance situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Dermot Ahern

Question:

32 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to recent instances in child custody cases whereby the judges have given the respective parents joint equal custody of the child or children of the relationship; if he will amend the regulations to take this into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter, dealing particularly with the right of each parent in such cases to have equal treatment aid payments.

Dermot Ahern

Question:

59 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will ensure that joint equal custody of children will be recognised in regard to the lone parent's allowance schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 32 and 59 together.

One of the qualifying conditions for lone parent's allowance is that the claimant has the main care and charge of the children. This is consistent with the underlying objective of the scheme which is to meet the needs of people who have the responsibility of rearing children without the support of a spouse or partner.

The existence of a joint custody order does not necessarily preclude a person from qualifying for lone parent's allowance. In the event that one of the parents has the main care and charge of a child, that person can, subject to the other qualifying conditions attached to the scheme, qualify for the allowance.

The question as to how to deal with cases where joint custody orders have been made is currently under review within my Department. The possibility of entitling one of the parents in joint custody situations to lone parent's allowance for example, by providing for one of the parents to be regarded for the purposes of the scheme as having the main care and charge of the child, is being examined in this context.

There are other income support payments available for parents who do not come within the scope of the lone parent's allowance scheme such as unemployment assistance, or, if they are not available for work, supplementary welfare allowance.

Statistics are not maintained which would indicate any developing trend in child custody cases towards joint custody orders under which the child resides equally with both parents. In so far as child benefit is concerned, entitlement to payment is governed by regulations which confer entitlement to the mother in the first instance. There are no provisions for sharing of child benefit between parents and my Department has never provided for this on an administrative basis.

Richard Bruton

Question:

28 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the rules for mortgage supplement which exclude any assistance with the repayment element of a mortgage, leave many families having to subsist on amounts well below the minimum supplementary welfare rates; and if he will consider modifying these rules in order to prevent hardship.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

Legislation governing the supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides that a supplement may be paid to a person where his basic social welfare or health board payment is insufficient to meet his needs. Regulations provide, inter alia, that a person may receive such a supplement in respect of the interest portion of his mortgage payment.

Entitlement to a supplement is determined by the health board and the payment is calculated so that, after payment of mortgage interest, the person has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his family size, less £5.

A change in the basis for calculation of mortgage supplements to include assistance in respect of the capital element of mortgage repayments would have major financial and other implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context.